2013.01.29

A few weeks ago I was interviewed by a reporter from WNYC for their New Tech City show about 3D printed guns.

I know a lot more about 3D printing than I do about guns, but since the two have intersected, the media is looking for people with knowledge in both subjects, and I guess I know enough about both to talk intelligently about it. :)

We are not yet at the stage in home 3D printers where you can just download and print a working gun. It may be 10, or 20, or 50 years out, but don’t worry about it, because the one thing I’ve heard numerous times in talking to various members of Milwaukee Makerspace is this bit from Have Blue:

The one point I try to make (and that they generally fail to grasp) is that if it eventually becomes possible to download a file from a website, feed it to a printer, and have a fully operable handgun a few hours later, the technology will have already impacted our lives in far more incredible ways.

Just think about that… We’re already making progress on printing human organs. Imaging printing a medical device that could save someone’s life, or medication, or your next mobile phone, or food, or any specialty tool you need. It’s potentially World Changing, so to focus on guns alone is just silly.

4 Responses to “Printable Guns on WNYC”

Tad/Chris(?), I think the people behind the WikiWeapons thing are ignorant and irresponsible, but if you are intelligent and responsible, I’m not against you creating 3D printed guns, but I’ll admire you a million times more if you 3d print something that could help make the world a better place. I’m not convinced guns will do that.

As for open source weapon design, I’m in favor of open source, but again, I prefer projects that are more creative than destructive. So yeah, change the world for the better! (Creating more weapons probably isn’t the way to do that.)

Really intesting quote there. As a mechanical engineer, I believe that 3D printing will be absolutely huge – at some point. As you allude to, it’ll be a long time before it replaces a milling machine, longer still a grinder.

Not that I wouldn’t enjoy having a 3D printer, but I’m still quite happy with my “old school” CNC router.